View full sizeMaxine Bernstein/The OregonianGary Davis, the executive director of Operation Nightwatch, stands beside a memorial to Nikayla Powell, 32, in the hospitality room that his agency opens to the homeless three nights a week at St. Stephen's Episcopal Parish in downtown Portland. Powell was a volunteer for the non-profit agency, and a guest is accused of killing her at her Southeast Portland apartment.

Nikayla Powell, 32, spent three nights a week volunteering at Portland's Operation Nightwatch, where homeless people are welcomed with coffee, sandwiches, games or movies.

It's considered a ministry of hospitality for the poor and disadvantaged, and is based at a downtown Portland church.

That's where Powell, who was between jobs, met Mark D. Beebout, a 39-year-old homeless man who is now in custody and accused of murder in her death.

While Powell was quiet and reserved, Beebout was loud, outgoing and gregarious.

For about six months, Powell had been volunteering at the non-profit run out of St. Stephen's Episcopal Parishon Southwest 13th Avenue. She first connected with the non-profit through the online agency, VolunteerMatch. Beebout had been showing up regularly for three months.

At first, Powell was so shy she kept to herself, said Gary Davis, Operation Nightwatch director.

"For a number of weeks, she didn't do much more than stand on the sidelines and serve coffee," Davis recalled.

But then she began to engage with a few of the homeless guests. The volunteers are encouraged to talk to the guests, or play cards or other table games with them.

"She would stick with one or two people in the evening" Davis said, "and he was one of those."

But Davis said he had no idea that Powell had taken Beebout home with her, which is against the non-profit's rules.

"I have subsequently learned that not only this was happening, but a number of our guests knew," Davis said. "It makes me furious that none of them let me know about it. I at least would have been able to warn Niki. I can only imagine how he would have probably manipulated her with some sort of sob story."

Powell's body was found July 10 in her bunk bed of her Southeast Belmont Street apartment after neighbors complained about the stench from her unit.

Beebout, a sex offender, is accused of killing Powell and stealing her car, dog, Chase debit card and Oregon Trail card. He was arrested in Seattle with the dog on July 19, and awaits extradition to Portland.

Relatives told police they had learned that Beebout, considered a homeless transient, had been staying at Powell's apartment for at least a week.

"He somehow talked her into letting him into her residence," said John Kamp, who also had met Powell at Operation Nightwatch.

Kamp, a guest at Nightwatch, described Beebout as a "very persuasive, manipulative person."

About two weeks before Powell suddenly stopped showing up at Operation Nighwatch, Kamp said she told him she was having "roommate problems," but he didn't know what those were or that Beebout was involved.

Kamp said Powell had told him she was about to start a temporary job for Columbia Sportswear's warehouse. Kamp said neither he, nor Powell, knew of Beebout's criminal history.

"Nobody knew this guy was a sex offender," Kamp said. "If Niki knew, she would never have taken him home with her."

Davis, the Operation Nightwatch director, said he also was unaware Beebout was a sex offender. He said the non-profit welcomes everybody, including those released from prison with criminal backgrounds.

"They need a sandwich, a cup of coffee and a blanket as much as anybody else," Davis said.

Davis is concerned that other volunteers may now shy away from the ministry. He recently posted a notice to its estimated 300 volunteers, titled "A Death in the Family."

He called the incident an "anomaly."

"We've been around 30 years, and nothing like this has ever happened," he said.

"The circumstances may naturally raise the question, 'Is it really safe to volunteer at Nightwatch?' "

Davis' answer: "We can guarantee your safety during the time you spend at Nighwatch itself. We have no control, however, over what may happen in the hours beyond Nightwatch."

Davis reminded volunteers to set strict boundaries, and not have contact with guests outside of the church.

He said he announced Powell's death and Beebout's arrest to the guests Friday night.